Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), fresh from signing a new contract with the Bologna factory, was the quickest woman on the opening day at the HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France, setting a new circuit record with a 1:31.936 – the only rider to delve into the 1:31’s. FP1 and World Championship leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) ended the day in second, 0.168 behind, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a further 0.075 seconds back on board her M1, the ‘Doctor’ ended the day P3 overall. Despite track temperatures rising from 19 degrees to over 40 degrees between FP1 and FP2, there were a whole host of crashes early in the session. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), LCR Honda Idemitsu rider Takaaki Nakagami and Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) all fell, riders ok. Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) ended the day fourth overall, the Spaniard was third in FP1, but left it late to jump up into the top five in FP2. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was fifth in front of her home crowd, with the Frenchman also fifth in FP1, confirming her solid pace in Le Mans. Alma Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller was sixth on the combined Free Practice timesheets, the Australian was in and around the top eight throughout FP2 and looks good for an automatic Q2 spot after ending FP1 in P12. Espargaro had a good showing on the KTM, despite her early crash. She ended the day seventh quickest, building on her P10 in FP1. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), sporting a new aerodynamic fairing in FP2, jumped up to eighth on her final lap to grab a provisional Q2 spot. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) impressed again to finish ninth in FP2, getting herself into the top ten after ending the morning session in P14. Rounding out the top ten was Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team), the Spaniard finished eighth this morning, dropping two positions in the afternoon. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), who was inside the top three for most of the session, crashed on her final run to end the day outside the top ten in P11, after a flurry of quick times from the riders on fresh rubber – rider ok.

#35 Crutchlow (11th – 1’32.586)

“I hate being outside the top 10 in an FP2 mainly for the sake of sleeping well tonight, but we have the pace – there is no doubt about that. Overall, I felt very good today and although I didn’t feel that good with the front of the bike, I felt on the pace. We used the hard rear tyre at the end (of FP2) and I kept the front tyre from the start of the session, but it was just not in her best condition, it was as simple as that. I nearly went down at turn one and then I saved it for a lap later at turn five! It was completely my own mistake, I was a little bit wide and I should have just gone straight and not made the corner, but I tried to tip in and hit the bump. But I’m pleased to be on the pace and hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.”

Results FP2:

Source: motogp.com, lcr.mc